The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: Kitchen Cottage on September 13, 2013, 08:05:14 am
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I have a VERY old Sprollie (Freddie) who is between 17 and 19. I got him in 1997 when I was told he was a year old (he was certainly adult), when I took him to the vet, the vet thought he was about 3 or 4, so he's somewhere in quite a wide band.
He had some arthritis problems, which were managed by metacam but I've taken him off the metacam as, in the summer he has been fine without it.
The real problem is my house has a large kitchen dinner with tiled floors, a few times I've come home from work and found him with his legs splated where he's been unable to get up. He doesn't have the muscle strength to not splay. I've put loads of rugs down, but he keeps going "off piste" and splaying out. on 2 occasions he'd wet himself.
In fairness, in total over the last year he's had 4 loss of control incidents. Two where he's been really deeply asleep and just wee'd and 2 when he's got stuck on the floor, and that makes me think he's in distress on the floor.
Other than rugs, any ideas? I don't think I am at "quality of life" issues yet, because the arthritis is so much better and he's not in pain.
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I don't know how long a period you are out of the house, but would it be possible to confine him to an area that is fully carpeted for those times?
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Not quite the same thing but our big shepherd had CDRM and was losing the use of his back legs. We bought him boots to protect his back paws as they tended to drag on the ground. You may find some that help to give him a grip on the slippery floor.
He also had a big padded, waterproof Tuffies bed in the kitchen where we have wooden floors and I made him some wraparound nappies from old sweatshirts as he was sometimes incontinent.
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Could you cover an area with cardboard? I put cardboard in the back of our car as its absorbent, non slip and can be thrown away, you can put the bed on it and all around an area I suppose! What a good age.......bless him :love:
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You can get light weight breathable rubber dog boots- a bit like the old varucca sock! Fab for grip on slippery surfaces! called power paws I thinks can get them on line.
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Sally's idea is best, restrict him to an area where he can't slip.
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Cork tiles or sheeting is very inexpensive and Eco friendly as a solution while he's still around? It's only thin but would give him good grip.